The celebrated Nigerian writer Tanure Ojaide relates here his experience of living in the United States where he has been based teaching and writing since 1996. Drawing the Map of Heaven picks up where his earlier memoir, Great Boys. An African Childhood which charted his upbringing in Nigeria by his Grandmother, left off. Less a purely personal tale and more a story of the many other African immigrants in the United States Ojaide in the text uses "we" to speak collectively for a traditionally communal society now residing in an individualistic setting. As much a reflection of an African background as an American experience Drawing the Map of Heaven is a unique portrait of the African in the United States

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Proof of Heaven teams up with the sages of times past, modern scientists, and with ordinary people who have had profound spiritual experiences to show the reality of heaven and our true identities as spiritual beings. When Dr. Eben Alexander told the story of his near-death experience and his vivid journey to the other side, many readers wrote to say it resonated with them profoundly. Thanks to them, Dr. Alexander realized that sharing his story allowed people to rediscover what so many in ancient times knew: there is more to life, and to the universe, than this single earthly life. Dr. Alexander and his coauthor Ptolemy Tompkins were surprised to see how often his readers’ visions of the afterlife synced up with each other and with those of the world’s spiritual leaders, as well as its philosophers and scientists. In The Map of Heaven, he shares the stories people have told him and shows how they are echoed both in the world’s faiths and in its latest scientific insights. It turns out there is much agreement, across time and terrain, about the journey of the soul and its survival beyond death. In this book, Dr. Alexander makes the case for heaven as a genuine place, showing how we have forgotten, but are now at last remembering, who we really are and what our destiny truly is. The Map of Heaven takes the broad view to reveal how modern science is on the verge of the most profound revolution in recorded history—all around the phenomenon of consciousness itself!

The celebrated Nigerian writer Tanure Ojaide relates here his experience of living in the United States where he has been based teaching and writing since 1996. Drawing the Map of Heaven picks up where his earlier memoir, Great Boys. An African Childhood which charted his upbringing in Nigeria by his Grandmother, left off. Less a purely personal tale and more a story of the many other African immigrants in the United States Ojaide in the text uses "we" to speak collectively for a traditionally communal society now residing in an individualistic setting. As much a reflection of an African background as an American experience Drawing the Map of Heaven is a unique portrait of the African in the United States

In Drawing Near, John Bevere urges you not to settle for the dry shadow of Christianity that knows about God without knowing God. The incredible invitation from the Creator of the universe is not just to worship Him from afar with words and rituals, but to enter a relationship so meaningful and intimate that you know His heart, and He knows yours. Often we feel God is distant, but Bevere says the cause is not God, but ourselves. Our focus on possessions, entertainment, and feel-good worship form barriers to Him. But when we open our lives to Him in humility and obedience, He fills us with His Holy Spirit and reveals Himself to us. Prayer transforms from a dry, one-way monologue to a loving dialogue between companions -- each sharing the deepest secrets of the heart. In restoring this intimate relationship with God, you will form a loving union with Him that fills your life with joy and passion. In this book, best-selling author John Bevere reveals how Scripture repeatedly declares that God desires a close relationship with us. When we draw near to Him, we find the presence of His Holy Spirit to be the most energizing, exhilarating, and transforming experience we have ever known. It's hard to want something you don't even know is missing. Sadly, many of us settle for a bland religion of the mind, missing out on the burning ecstasy of intimacy with God. We ignore God's holiness, expecting to be filled with His Spirit without cleansing our lives in order to receive Him. But we were created for intimate fellowship with God. Drawing from his own journey, Bevere shows us the way to rewarding companionship with God. Instead of a set of mechanical instructions, he gives us a treasure map pointing to God's heart. "Intimacy can never become a step-by-step process," Bevere explains. Rather it is yielding to the entreaty of the greatest lover in the universe and entering an intimate, passionate relationship of oneness with Him. Book jacket.

When neurosurgeon Dr Eben Alexander published Proof of Heaven, his account of his near-death experience, he was contacted by a large number of readers: some argued that his account was impossible to believe; but others wrote to share their own profound journey to the afterlife or their stories of contact with loved ones who had died. Drawing on these stories and on research into and conversations with prominent scientist, philosophers and religious figures, Dr Alexander takes a wide-ranging look at the meaning of life, the nature of consciousness and the possibility of life after death. Dr Alexander explores the many possibilities and explanations for near-death and after-death experiences - both scientific and spiritual - and he comes to this conclusion: 'Our spirit is not dependent on the brain or body. It is eternal, and no one has one sentence worth of hard evidence that it isn't.' Compassionate, accessible and compelling, this is a book provides comfort, offers hope and reinforces what we all know to be true, whether believers or not: the strength of love is eternal, and our connections live on past death.

Mapmaking fulfills one of our most ancient and deepseated desires: understanding the world around us and our place in it. But maps need not just show continents and oceans: there are maps to heaven and hell; to happiness and despair; maps of moods, matrimony, and mythological places. There are maps to popular culture, from Gulliver's Island to Gilligan's Island. There are speculative maps of the world before it was known, and maps to secret places known only to the mapmaker. Artists' maps show another kind of uncharted realm: the imagination. What all these maps have in common is their creators' willingness to venture beyond the boundaries of geography or convention. You Are Here is a wide-ranging collection of such superbly inventive maps. These are charts of places you're not expected to find, but a voyage you take in your mind: an exploration of the ideal country estate from a dog's perspective; a guide to buried treasure on Skeleton Island; a trip down the road to success; or the world as imagined by an inmate of a mental institution. With over 100 maps from artists, cartographers, and explorers, You are Here gives the reader a breath-taking view of worlds, both real and imaginary.

When Dr Eben Alexander wrote about his own startling near-death experience in Proof of Heaven, he was contacted by countless people from all walks of life. His story had touched them personally and they in turn had their own miraculous experiences of the afterlife to share with Eben. In The Map of Heaven, Eben recounts the astonishing stories he has heard on his travels, from near-death experiences and encounters with angelic beings to inspiring messages from departed loved ones. Each account helps us to understand just how vast the universe really is. Drawing on these accounts and lessons from religious leaders, philosophers and scientific investigations into the role of consciousness, Eben explores our true place in the universe and what exactly exists beyond death.